


The Beach is Still Beautiful in Winter

by MysticWysteria



Category: SHINee, 소녀시대 | Girls' Generation | SNSD
Genre: Best Friends, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Nostalgia, Platonic Relationships, mentions of depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:42:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25124104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticWysteria/pseuds/MysticWysteria
Summary: “First of all, I didn’t say we were going to Jeju, I said I got an ad for tourists but it was this really nice hotel and flight package--why are you looking at me like that? I’m not done--it reminded me of how long its been since I got out of the house, and there's a really nice beach down by my grandmother's house that’s only a forty-minute drive from here.”Taeyeon squinted at him with a bit of suspicion and a decent amount of judgment.“Jonghyun, it’s the middle of winter.”He put his hands up in defense but offered a reassuring smile.“Come on, Tae, you need this as much as I do.”She held his gaze for several more beats then abruptly got her feet and threw her hair over her shoulder.“Alright. Okay, yeah, that sounds good. I’ll go get dressed.”
Relationships: Kim Jonghyun/Kim Taeyeon
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	The Beach is Still Beautiful in Winter

Two eyes peered out from behind the apartment door, blinking several times, then there was some quiet rustling and the door opened the rest of the way. Taeyeon looked tired, her hair fell over her shoulders in a state of disarray and spilled in front of her face as she leaned against the door handle to make room for Jonghyun to step inside.

“So what did you say you were stealing me off for again?” Her voice was soft, heavy under the weight of an unspoken burden, but he could hear the genuine interest behind her words as she followed him into the main room.

“I _told_ you over the phone already,” Jonghyun huffed, throwing himself down onto the couch and letting out a sigh of content as he pulled a particularly soft pillow onto his lap.

“That's my favorite pillow, don’t get your smell all over it!”

“You’re literally wearing the shirt you stole from me last month.”

She pouted for a moment, then the corners of her mouth curved up and she shrugged.

“That’s not the point. Anyways, I recall you saying you had the genius idea of going to the beach at Hyeopjae, which apparently leaves me to remind you that not only is Jeju as far as you can possibly get from Seoul, this is coming from the guy who asked me for help with rent last month. What exactly was your plan here?”

It was Jonghyun’s turn to look fairly disgruntled.

“First of all, I didn’t _say_ we were going to Jeju, I said I got an ad meant for tourists but it was this really nice hotel and flight package—why are you looking at me like that? I’m not done— it reminded me of how long it's been since I got out of the house, and there's a really nice beach down by my grandmother's house that’s only a forty-minute drive from here.” 

Taeyeon squinted at him with a bit of suspicion and a decent amount of judgment.

“Jonghyun, it’s the middle of winter.”

He put his hands up in defense but offered a reassuring smile.

“Come on, Tae, you need this as much as I do.”

She held his gaze for several more beats then abruptly got her feet and threw her hair over her shoulder.

“Alright. Okay, yeah, that sounds good. I’ll go get dressed.”

He watched her disappear into her bedroom rather fondly, then turned his attention to the pillow on his lap as he absentmindedly rolled the tassels between two fingers. If he recalled correctly, the pillow had come as part of a bedding set that Taeyeon's father had given her when she moved out of the dorm and into her own place. The once deep purple had faded into a subdued shade of lavender after countless washes, but as he traced abstract lines through the fabric, he could feel memories blooming in his mind. Taeyeon curled on the bed and muffing sobs into the pillow the month after Holiday promotions had ended, eventually raising her head to wipe tear stains from her eyes and choking out that there had been discussions of disbandment. Taeyeon ruffling the soft fibers after a thorough wash and blow-dry session so she could tuck it into a wicker basket and coax over her new puppy. _Come on, Zero, it’s warm and safe! I promise! Jonghyun, could you shake the bag of treats?_ Taeyeon dropping the pillow onto his back so she could recline against him as they lay sprawled on the couch, scrolling absentmindedly through Naver trends.

“Hey, what are you thinking?” 

Taeyeon had stepped out of the bedroom and was now walking towards him bundled head to toe in warm wool and the soft blue of a heavier winter coat, a lightness in her step that was reflected by the playful smile dancing across her lips. Jonghyun got to his feet immediately and felt a weight lift from his chest.

“Just remembering things. I’ve been over here so many times it feels like coming home.” 

Taeyeon swatted at him playfully then grabbed a brush from the small table in the hallway and tugged it impatiently through her hair. She paused to gesture in the direction of the bathroom a few doors down the hall.

“If it’s your home, go fix yourself up then. You look like you haven’t washed your face in a week.”

Her words were gentle, but there was concern behind them so he patted her back reassuringly before heading in the direction she pointed. A glance in the mirror after he nudged the door closed behind him and turned on the light made him pause momentarily. His hair, bleached a ghostly white, was sticking out in several odd angles across his head, and his skin was dull and slightly ashen. What concerned him the most, though, was the exhaustion in the gaze looking back at him. For a moment, he let his mind wander again, drifting from nights spent awake searching for answers to fragments of lyrics and poetry he would scrawl across the countless pages scattered about his desk.

Then there was a warmth across his back and Taeyeon was standing next to him, rubbing a gentle pattern into the skin between his shoulder blades. He felt his tension drain away and offered her a grateful smile before bending over to cup water into his hands and splash it over his face. A shiver ran through him from the harsh cold, then the shock faded into a thrum of energy as his body slowly begun to awaken from the clutches of fatigue. When he turned back to face her, she was shifting her weight impatiently and tugged him out in the hallway. 

“Come on, I got out some water bottles from the fridge and put them in my bag—It’s on the kitchen island, I threw some snacks in there too—could you grab my keys? They’re right behind you.” She was already putting on her boots and holding the door open to wait for him, and Jonghyun grabbed the keys and a cheery-looking beach bag from the table before hurrying after her. 

She took the stairs down to the ground floor two at a time, pausing at each landing to confirm that he was, in fact, still following her, then almost ran into an elderly couple on their way up as she rounded the final corner. Jonghyun muffled a laugh behind the sleeve of his jacket and watched her stammer out apologies. He caught up with her in time to hold the door open and they stumbled out into the daylight, immediately squinting and shielding their eyes. By the time his vision had adjusted and they had made it to Taeyeon's car, he felt a familiar sensation forcing its way up through his chest. They turned to look at each other simultaneously, then suddenly they were doubling over and slumping against the vehicle, shaking from laughter.

“You almost plowed that woman over! What if her husband beat me up, huh? What if he beat _you_ up? Would you defend my name in court if I fought someone's grandfather to save your sorry ass?” 

Taeyeon made an attempt at a response but the only thing that escaped her mouth was more giggles and she shoved his chest half-heartedly. 

“Get in the car,” she managed eventually, stealing her keys from Jonghyun's grasp. He made a face but obediently circled around to let himself in the passenger seat. As she started up the car, she offered a pair of sunglasses from the drop-down holder above her head, then shrugged nonchalantly and put them on herself when he rejected with a brief shake of his head. They pulled out of the complex a moment later, with Jonghyun drumming his fingers on the dashboard quietly as the buildings on either side blurred by. It was only fifteen minutes before the muted grays of civilization around them faded into rich greens and browns of a natural landscape. 

“You can connect your phone if you want, play me a song,” Taeyeon suggested into the comfortable silence as they drove on. He hummed assent and turned his phone on, thumbing through some files on his phone.

“Tell me what you think of this. I haven’t released it yet, but I think I’m going to perform it at my concert next week.” A few clicks later, a slightly upbeat tune surrounded them, carried by his own voice as it followed the melody. Taeyeon turned on the heater and a rush of hot air immediately blew into Jonghyun’s face, and he coughed once as the dust that had settled into the vents was swept into the cabin. Taeyeon threw her head back to take in the pleasant change and her hair tumbled back behind her as she nodded along to the beat. Jonghyun noticed the way it shone gold in the light after she had combed the life back into its usual dull browns. Warmth settled comfortably into his chest as he watched a smile fill her face, fuller and brighter than he had seen on her in a long time.

“This is beautiful,” she told him, then added softly, “Thank you.”

“Of course. It’s called ‘Only One you Need’, I was going to send it to you as soon as I recorded it, but I wanted to talk it over with the team more.” He offered her an apologetic smile, but her expression didn’t waver.

“Not… for the song. You know,” she gestured about them, “For this. For everything. You were right, what you said to me first, I did need this.” Her eyes drifted away from the road for a second before he nudged her and she tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

“Tae, I know you well enough to know when you need a break, but it’s not like I didn’t need this too. God knows we both need our time alone, even when we’re not truly alone—my mom still makes sure we spend time together every day, and I know you Kibum and Tiffany are always going out on the weekends, he wouldn’t shut up about that new restaurant you guys found—we all need time to just enjoy someone else’s company. Sometime’s we’re the most ourselves, not in the safety of our room, but in the presence of the people we love.”

The smile crept back onto her mouth. “What’s this? My best friend, renowned poet and certified Giver on Advice back on that radio show of yours, spouting wisdom again? How refreshing! Never been seen before!”

He heaved a sigh at her teasing, but the warmth never left his eyes.

“One day at a time, Tae. It’s gonna be alright.”

“Stop calling me that, making me think you’re talking to Taemin.”

“He’s Taem,” he corrected, “You’re Taeng.”

Her face screwed up at the old nickname, but she reached out and grabbed his hand and squeezed it once in a silent gesture of appreciation. 

“You talk too much,” she replied, but the pleasant lilt to her voice betrayed her words. She turned the wheel and the car pulled into a mostly empty lot, occupied only by some older looking trucks with fishing tackle and assorted ropes in their open beds, and turned off the ignition. She tossed the keys back to Jonghyun, muttering “My coat doesn’t have pockets,” then grabbed the bag from his feet and stepped out into the breeze. Jonghyun chuckled to himself—her coat did, in fact, have _several_ pockets from what he could see—but there was a smile on her face as he stepped out of the car to join her on the path down to the ocean water, and he closed his fingers a little tighter over the familiar metal before slipping them into his own jacket. 

They walked until the well-worn wooden planks beneath their boots faded into the crunch of slightly frosty sand and the air tasted of salt and fading sunlight. The crash of waves against the shore made him shiver, and Taeyeon tugged her colorful winter hat off her head to reach up pull it down over his ears. He smiled at the gesture, but he felt far from cold. Everything about the environment, from the might of the ocean before them, to the comforting presence of fishing boats bobbing on the horizon, to the way his friend took his hand and laughed as she danced away from the water lapping at their heels took his breath away. He let himself get carried away in the familiar pull of thoughts, feeling his mind drift from perceptions and sensations to the tug of nostalgia as he recalled the times he ran barefoot across the same golden sand as a child, then gently brought himself back to the present.

The present, where Taeyeon was pulling her scarf down from where it was obscuring half of her face so she could look at him with mirth dancing in her eyes, and he felt more grounded than he had in months. He let her energy wash over him, and in that moment, the only thing he felt was contentment.

"You know, Tae," he breathed, "The beach is still beautiful in winter."

**Author's Note:**

> -Jjong and taeyeon just... vibing at the beach.  
> -in the middle of winter because they need a change of scenery  
> -He calls her up all excited, like hey I know we both been going thru it this week but you'll never believe what I got an ad for !  
> -nd she's like is spontaneous trips across the country really a smart coping method?? nd he goes don't think too much, I'm coming to get you rn.  
> -and she just smiles bc they both know that's exactly what they need.


End file.
